State of the Union: Trump arranges emotional reunion of military family during address

WASHINGTON - Among the made-for-TV moments in President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech: The military husband of one of Trump's guests returned home from deployment and surprised his family.

Amy Williams, from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was in attendance Tuesday night with her two children, 6-year-old Elliana and 3-year-old Rowan. Trump told the crowd that Williams works full time and volunteers helping military families. Over the past seven months, her husband, Sgt. 1st Class Townsend Williams has been deployed to Afghanistan, his fourth trip to the Middle East.

Trump thanked her, then told her he had a surprise: Her husband had returned from deployment and was at the Capitol. Sgt. Williams walked down the stairs in his uniform to greet a shocked Amy Williams, and he hugged his children. He then hugged his wife.

Trump delivered the address Tuesday amid his impeachment trial. He spoke about the gains he says his administration has made, but he did not mention the impeachment.

Trump, the former reality TV star added a showbiz flavor to the staid event: He had wife Melania present the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to the divisive conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, who recently announced he has advanced lung cancer.

He stunned a young student in the gallery with a scholarship before orchestrating the surprise tearful reunion of the soldier from overseas with his family in the balcony.